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“capacesleadership.org”: Brand New Website

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These periodic updates have focused on the tangible progress we’re making to bring the CAPACES Leadership Institute fully to life.  For example, every day the building has some new put in place.  This past week, it was the roof’s “TPO” waterproof membrane, installed thanks to donated labor and considerable donated material provided by McDonald and Wetle in East Portland.  And on Thrusday, the Institute wrapped up its first course, “CAPACES 101”, a five-sessions for new leaders and leaders new to our movement.  The second offering of CAPACES 101 begins today with a new small group.

As hundreds of supporters can attest, seeing the Institute’s building-in-progress or meeting CAPACES organizations leaders in person best transmits the essence of the Institute.  Most supporters, of course, simply cannot come and visit, much less come by often.  Therefore, as promised, we’ve created a vehicle to bring the Institute’s evolution to you.

At www.capacesleadership.org you can now find images, stories, information, background and more about the CAPACES Leadership Institute:

  • See photos of the latest construction progress;
  • Find this e-update—and past ones that form the “first draft” of this journey’s narrative;
  • Read brief and engaging accounts from behind the scenes, like the profile of the Institute’s chief construction consultant, Gene Wixson, of Green Hammer;
  • Sign up for construction brigades;
  • Use the “Donate” link to make a tax-deductible contribution securely online;

To get started, we assembled mostly the basics.  In the weeks and months ahead, we’ll be inserting more back story and expanding content on the Institute’s programs.  We expect that the site will eventually become a platform for the Institute’s program that’s as virtually vibrant as the in-person activities already are.  OK, almost as vibrant.

We gratefully acknowledge the team who brought www.capacesleadership.org to life:  Barry Amundson, Abel Valladares, Kathleen Pequeño, and Phil Pearson.

We hope you’ll use capacesleadership.org to stay current, connected, and to help us draw in others.

CAPACES Leadership Institute’s Grand Opening in 2012!

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It’s a full nine months away—but we’ve set the date for the CAPACES Leadership Institute’s Grand Opening celebration!

On Friday, July 13th and Saturday, July 14th, 2012, hundreds of community members and Institute supporters will gather to officially open and inaugurate the Institute’s permanent home at 356 Young Street in Woodburn.

Today, PCUN President Ramón Ramírez is sending a letter to U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solís formally inviting her to be the keynote speaker for the Grand Opening.  Secretary Solís promised Ramón that she would attend and now we’ll work with her staff on scheduling.

We chose July 13th in part because it will be the first anniversary of the Institute’s incorporation as an independent non-profit organization.  We expect such a wide and rich array of participants for this historic occasion that, we decided, one day just won’t suffice.  In addition to the “celebration”, we plan to organize activities that engage and illustrate topics central to the Institute’s mission.

As we’ve mentioned in recent e-updates, the Institute’s first course sessions are already underway—next door at PCUN’s Risberg Hall.  We expect that, by July 2012, a full complement of courses will have been completed and new ones will be in development.

The mid-July weather in Oregon’s Willamette Valley is (usually) very conducive to an outdoor celebration and the activities we envision.  Earlier in the year, not so much.  That’s another compelling reason to hold the Grand Opening next summer.

So “save the date” and rest assured that we’ll be sending out ample details as the occasion draws nearer.

Changing traditional gender roles in leadership

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In early 2006, the Leadership Round-table chose to devote three consecutive monthly sessions to assessing and analyzing gender dynamics and patterns in the movement’s leadership roles. This included examining and debating how assumptions and cultural conditioning had shaped women’s options and choices in roles.

In early April, as the mass mobilizations of immigrants were sweeping the country, PCUN and CAUSA called for a mobilization to the Oregon State Capitol in Salem on April 9th. Thousands turned out, overwhelming the security team organizers’ had hurriedly assembled. Days later, we decided to answer the national call for massive marches on May Day. The staffs of CAPACES network organizations gathered to chose or assign roles for what we all expected to be (and was) the largest gathering in Oregon history at that location for any occasion or issue.

One of the most daunting was coordinating security, a function that had always been carried out by men. This time, three women volunteered to coordinate both security and police liaison. They led a security team of nearly two hundred volunteers (and including many women). City, county and state law enforcement commanders—deeply apprehensive beforehand—all praised the security operation which maintained order and quickly defused provocations by a handful of anti-immigrant zealots.

When the three women were asked why they had volunteered, they credited the CAPACES discussions for motivating them to break through the barriers.

One of those three was Lorena Manzo.

Lorena Manzo: The story of one CAPACES leader

Lorena Manzo is one of many young leaders who will benefit from the CAPACES Leadership Institute. Originally from Mexico, Lorena made her way to California at the age of 15. In 1997, she moved to Woodburn where she worked in the strawberry fields and eventually earned her GED.

Her involvement in the movement began eight years ago, when she met a neighbor who was a member of Mujeres Luchadoras Progresistas. She joined MLP’s project economic self-help project—farmworker women making and marketing Christmas wreaths. As an MLP volunteer and part-time staff member, she had opportunities to learn skills in public speaking, fundraising, and administration. MLP connected her with PCUN and CAUSA.

Lorena became a regular at CAPACES mass gathering and round-tables starting in 2004. She encountered a wider array of leaders and drew strength from their ideas, their example, and their support. “CAPACES is my university,” Lorena likes to say. “At this kind though, we put what we learn immediately into practice.”

Lorena credits the movement and CAPACES with changing her life: “My training and my work as an organizer has equipped me to be an advocate for my community in the Legislature, a place I seldom thought I’d ever be.”

Now thirty-two years old, Lorena is a lead organizer with CAUSA and an active member of the committee which is designing the CAPACES Leadership Institute’s programs. “None of us is ever done learning, or teaching others,” she explained. “The Institute will change how we see our reality.”

It will bring more of us to leadership with the skills, the commitment and the vision to transform our lives and our community.”

And Lorena’s path? “I’m preparing to be director of an organization,” she responded, confidently.

October Construction Update

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For the last month we have gotten up early and stayed up late running, pushing, kicking and swinging hammers left and right on our project. Our building, so recently begun, has in four short weeks become something very special: the nation’s first Passive House office building. Right down to the fully insulated floor, the progress we have made could not have been possible without the generous support of people like Pedro Martinez, our volunteer “Masonry Master,” and the more than six hundred others, children and adults, who have donated their time.

Our accomplishment has surprised even ourselves, but we are far from being done. In the next two weeks we need your support working inside our building–all the way to the trusses. Please consider donating your time to our worthy cause!

Contact Javier Lara at: Javierl@pcun.org or 503 997 4387 today!

A Volunteer Brigade Like No Other

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All kinds of folks have already volunteered to help construct the CAPACES Leadership Institute’s permanent home.  We’ve hosted dozens of groups.

Last Saturday’s group, however, was a first:  it was organized by and composed of women who are leaders in our movement.  Thirteen women-plus a few friends and supporters-turned out to make their contribution as well as learn and practice new skills.

Co-led by Mujeres Luchadoras Progresistas (a CAPACES-network organization) and Institute Executive Director Laura Isiordia, this volunteer brigade did more than nail wall sheeting, dig a post-footing  trench, prepare truss blocking, and de-nail boards for re-use.  “We sent a message today,” Laura declared, “that women who have little experience in construction can do this work and we must do it.  We’re already building the Institute in every other way.”

Some local women have taken an active role in the Institute building construction before.  On September 24th, movement leaders increased that participation and made it more visible.  They also decided to set another brigade for Wednesday October 26th and they welcome the participation of more women-from the community and beyond.

To sign up for the October 26th women’s brigade, contact Laura at lauraisiordia@fhdc.org   Other work brigades continue every Saturday.  Contact Javier Lara at javierl@pcun.org to sign up.

The Institute has more “firsts” to report.  On September 22nd, eight emerging leaders in our movement came together for the first session of:  “CAPACES 101.”  It begins the Institute’s first course, five two-hour sessions exploring our history, accomplishments, values, big ideas, and big challenges.  We plan to offer CAPACES 101 again in late October and several times during 2012.

In the next few days, we’re poised to put up the Institute’s own website.  Watch for our special alert and be among the first to visit it!